. >> the countdown to fiscal cliff negotiations reaches the final hour. but it's already too late for your first couple of paychecks in the new year. >> no matter what congress does to address the year- end "fiscal cliff," it's already past the deadline for employers to accurately withhold income taxes from january paychecks. this means. at first workers probably won't feel the full brunt of next year's tax increases in their january paychecks. employers are planning to withhold income taxes at the 2012 rates, at least for the first one or two paychecks of the year. things change when the internal revenue service releases income tax withholding tables for 2013. >> president barack obama and first lady michelle obama are wishing americans a merry christmas and happy holidays from hawaii. the obamas departed for their vacation last night and arrived there this morning. the president says the nation should give thanks for veterans and their families and asks americans to "say a prayer for all our troops" - including those spending the holiday in afghanistan